ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson University softball team opened a brief four-game homestand by sweeping North Greenville, 6-3 and 9-0, Wednesday afternoon at Smethers Field.
Anderson improved to 6-2 on the season with the sweep, while North Greenville fell to 1-5 with its fifth consecutive loss.
Game #1
Anderson 6, North Greenville 3
Freshman catcher Cailah Niles was 1-for-4 in the opener, with the
newcomer clubbing a two-out, walk-off grand slam to power the
Trojans past North Greenville in the opener. Senior Jessica Neidigh
was 1-for-3, with an RBI-double and also drew a walk in the
decisive seventh inning. Fellow senior Rebecca Martin added a
single and a walk in three trips to the plate, while third baseman
Bri Cason also posted a single in the final inning.
Sophomore hurler Augie Pena surrendered just two earned runs, while scattering two hits over six full innings in the circle. The right-hander struck out four Crusaders and issued just one walk. Freshman Chelsea Jones collected the victory in an inning of relief and improved to 2-1 in the circle, while allowing one earned run on two hits. She struck out two NGU hitters and did not issue a walk.
The Trojans snapped a scoreless tie in the third inning, with
Martin leading off the frame with a walk and Neidigh followed with
her second double of the season to plate Martin.
North Greenville catcher Morgan Roach answered quickly for the
Crusaders, as she pulled a two-out homer beyond the fence in left
field to give the visitors a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. But
the Trojans knotted the score at two apiece with another solo run
in the bottom of the inning, as Jones led off with a walk, moved to
second on shortstop Carli Hurtado's groundout and went to third
when the Crusaders misplayed Barefield's infield chopper. Jones
crossed the plate on Courtney Czentnar's sacrifice fly to left.
Neither team scored in the fifth and sixth innings, while North Greenville regained a 3-2 lead with a solo home run in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Cason began the Trojan rally by slicing a single down the right-field line. Neidigh followed with a walk and after Molly Child bounced into a fielder's choice, Niles pulled a 2-0 pitch just inside the left-field foul pole for her first collegiate grand slam.
Game #2
Anderson 9, North Greenville 0 (5 innings)
Neidigh was 3-for-4 in the second game, with a double and a pair of
singles. Child was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and added a walk,
while driving in two runs and scoring twice. Cason added a double,
single and a walk, while crossing the plate once. Martin extended
her hitting streak to four games with a third-inning single.
Sophomore right-hander Lauren Rudesheim (2-1) tossed her second complete game of the season, while holding the Crusaders to just two hits on the afternoon. She recorded a pair of strikeouts and walked just one Crusader.
Anderson struck first in the nightcap, as Child pulled a one-out double down the right-field line and crossed the plate with the first run of the contest when the North Greenville defense misplayed Niles' hard-hit bouncer.
The Trojans added three runs in the third, while sending seven batters to the plate. Neidigh led off with an opposite-field double, with Child following with a walk. Niles then bounced into a double play to NGU's Brittany Kimbrough at third, erasing Neidigh, while Child moved into scoring position. Jones added a single back up the middle and Barefield laced a single down the right-field line that was misplayed, allowing Child and Jones to cross the plate. AU boosted its advantage to 4-0 when Martin added a two-out single up the middle.
AU capitalized on three hits and a bases-loaded walk by Jones to push out to a five-run lead in the fourth inning and erupted for four runs in the fifth frame to claim the run-rule decision.
Anderson is slated to get back on the diamond Friday, when Peach
Belt Conference-opponent Lander invades Smethers Field. First-pitch
versus the Lady Bearcats is set for 4 p.m.
